What fish do you own that let you pet/touch them??

flyyyguy · 03/19/2008, 01:02 AM

Just curious. I noticed the other day that my leopard wrasse I have had for a couple of months will let me touch him whenever I want. It kinda blew my mind.

What fish in your tank let you touch them??

My niger triggeralso lets me touch him, but its the inside fo his mouth when hes hungry.........but its not all that friendly so that doesnt count........

xanthurum · 03/19/2008, 03:24 AM

Both my Vlamingi and my Black Tang allow me to touch them. Usually only when I feed them but while I have food in my hand I they don't seem to care how much I touch them.

keithntracy · 03/19/2008, 03:31 AM

we have a foxface, cintron clown goby,and thompsons that let me pet them.

chrisstie · 03/19/2008, 04:15 AM

Funny running into you in this thread

I wouldn't be brave enough to pet a foxface ;p I have a green clown that will sit in my hand and my latz will for lack of a better term kiss my finger and doesnt mind if i pet her. She just wants food but its still pretty cool

One of our LFS has a red sea sailfin that will tip over and ask to be pet almost she's really cool!

SDguy · 03/19/2008, 06:20 AM

My powder blue is getting to this point while I feed....

Jeffrey Porter · 03/19/2008, 07:35 AM

this guy likes a lot of heavy petting. this me with Darth Vador, our black grouper. we also have a 2 foot female that likes a lot of attention. and at feeding time i can pet the nurse sharks too.

InLimbo87 · 03/19/2008, 09:01 AM

Those pics are great Jeffrey! Is that you doing the petting??

luke33 · 03/19/2008, 09:08 AM

I use to have a dog face puffer that would let me pet him whenever i wanted. I did until he bit a piece off my forearm.....that was the last time i pet him. They have a very nasty bite.

Willy18T · 03/19/2008, 09:38 AM

I pet my stone fish and Blue ring all the time

InLimbo87 · 03/19/2008, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by luke33
I use to have a dog face puffer that would let me pet him whenever i wanted. I did until he bit a piece off my forearm.....that was the last time i pet him. They have a very nasty bite.

Ouch@@!!!

mattsilvester · 03/19/2008, 10:40 AM

Most of my fish hand feed..... in particular my emporer angel / powder blue / naso tang...... the others make a dash for whatever is in my fingers..... but the 3 forementioned will nibble away without fear.

If I put my arm in the tank, the emporer will grunt at it and try to fend me off.... the powder blue ducks for over, while the lipstick tang is quite interested..... I;m expecting him to start grazing any day soon.

They really show little or no fear in general, and I think if I tried they would let me "stroke" them...... thoguh to be honest, I don;t feel inclined or see the point.......

Even if I mess around with the rock work, they just go about their business around my arm..... as though I'm just another (non predatory) fish......

Its pretty cool when you think these are wild animals!

Bmgrocks · 03/19/2008, 11:01 AM

I worked with a Dogface puffer, that would look forward to being petted, he would spit water out the tank, to get your attention, pull up to the side of the tank and let you rub him.

It all starts with hand feeding, where fish associate you with food, and don't consider you a threat. Do any of you think that certain fish have a level of intelligence??? (it seems the larger fish are more prone to being interacted with?)

Jeffrey Porter · 03/19/2008, 11:06 AM

yeah, it's me pettin him. my mom took the pics. she didn't think i could see her in there.

twon8 · 03/19/2008, 02:40 PM

ive got a whiteface tang, naso, and a new guinea wrasse that let me pet them

brandon7491 · 03/19/2008, 06:36 PM

my blue ring octopus lets me touch him

snommisbor · 03/19/2008, 07:25 PM

My clown pair come up when I feed and eat out of my hand and my fire shrimp jumps on my finger and cleans it.

DarthSimon · 03/19/2008, 07:51 PM

I had a Huma Huma Trigger that kinda let me pet him....

ACBlinky · 03/19/2008, 10:56 PM

I have fish that bite me, does that count? My ocellaris female and both maroons bite mercilessly whenever I try to do any work inside the tank, and my Lamarck's angel took a bite out of me today at feeding time -- seems I wasn't dropping the food soon enough, so she stuck her head out of the water and bit my hand. It worked, I dropped the food, and now she's learned a lovely new behaviour

She's nearing 5" and only getting bigger, so from now on I think I'll keep my fingers further from the surface!

chrisstie · 03/20/2008, 06:00 AM

Speaking of fish bites, ever been bitten by a Harlequin Tusk? I had one jump up out of its tank to nibble on my thumb above the water when I wasn't paying attention, OW!

pancho · 03/20/2008, 07:11 AM

My Exquisite Fairy Wrasse lets me pet him whenever I want.

Dante_JoseCuerv · 03/20/2008, 08:50 AM

My clowns play a game of tag with my hands... but they kinda nip at my fingers to see if I have any food. If I don't then they kinda just leave me alone. That's about it though... my mandarin has occasionally chilled in my hand for a brief moment, but even that was just in search of food.

reefman13 · 03/20/2008, 09:04 AM

My powder brown, and female clowns swim around my arm like crazy any time its in the tank, and they will swim into my hand. And when I go to do a re-aqua scape and pull my fish out of the tank, they have no problems with the net.

ChemLife · 03/20/2008, 09:34 AM

I had a Six-lined Soapfish (Grammistes sexlineatus) many years ago that was tame enough to let me pet and hold it in the water. It has a velvety soft feel. It allowed anyone to pet and touch it - many people thought it had a preference for the attention of females!
It never released any toxins during all this attention, so it must have been enjoying it.

ChemLife

GBE378 · 03/20/2008, 10:42 AM

The moment my hand goes into my tank my green chromis are all over it. They rub against my hand and bite me if i dont give them attention.

Amoore311 · 03/20/2008, 12:42 PM

The only fish I ever owned that liked to interact with me was a Fresh Water Oscar.

He'd swim around my arm and rub up against it when I was cleaning his tank.

03/19/2008, 01:02 AM	#1
flyyyguy King of the white corals Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,239	What fish do you own that let you pet/touch them?? Just curious. I noticed the other day that my leopard wrasse I have had for a couple of months will let me touch him whenever I want. It kinda blew my mind. What fish in your tank let you touch them?? My niger triggeralso lets me touch him, but its the inside fo his mouth when hes hungry.........but its not all that friendly so that doesnt count........

03/19/2008, 03:24 AM	#2
xanthurum Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surprise Arizona Posts: 915	Both my Vlamingi and my Black Tang allow me to touch them. Usually only when I feed them but while I have food in my hand I they don't seem to care how much I touch them. __________________ Why is this so addictive. Current Tank Info: You want to know just ask

03/19/2008, 04:15 AM	#4
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	Funny running into you in this thread I wouldn't be brave enough to pet a foxface ;p I have a green clown that will sit in my hand and my latz will for lack of a better term kiss my finger and doesnt mind if i pet her. She just wants food but its still pretty cool One of our LFS has a red sea sailfin that will tip over and ask to be pet almost she's really cool! __________________ You lookin' at my wrasse? Current Tank Info: I find it odd that there are children starving in this country and yet we euthanize millions of stray dogs and cats every year and then incinerate the bodies. Not only that, but we make it illegal to butcher the meat. -MarkS

03/19/2008, 06:20 AM	#5
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	My powder blue is getting to this point while I feed.... __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

03/19/2008, 07:35 AM	#6
Jeffrey Porter Cradle Robber Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bermuda Posts: 356	this guy likes a lot of heavy petting. this me with Darth Vador, our black grouper. we also have a 2 foot female that likes a lot of attention. and at feeding time i can pet the nurse sharks too. __________________ "Ok, you're yummy either way, so it doesn't really matter." - Gawain1974 "Richard, would you be offended if I stuck my finger in your whip cream?" Aliie "Les can't remember crap" - crp "I can't be bothered with details... I'm just the concept advisor" - Barto Current Tank Info: 75 tanganyikan starting up

03/19/2008, 03:31 AM	#3
keithntracy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: winter park, fl Posts: 1,078	we have a foxface, cintron clown goby,and thompsons that let me pet them.

03/19/2008, 09:01 AM	#7
InLimbo87 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Central FL Posts: 3,197	Those pics are great Jeffrey! Is that you doing the petting?? __________________ We are forever responsible for that which we tame... Current Tank Info: 90 gallon

03/19/2008, 09:08 AM	#8
luke33 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,375	I use to have a dog face puffer that would let me pet him whenever i wanted. I did until he bit a piece off my forearm.....that was the last time i pet him. They have a very nasty bite.

03/19/2008, 09:38 AM	#9
Willy18T Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 270	I pet my stone fish and Blue ring all the time

03/19/2008, 10:40 AM	#11
mattsilvester Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 3,375	Most of my fish hand feed..... in particular my emporer angel / powder blue / naso tang...... the others make a dash for whatever is in my fingers..... but the 3 forementioned will nibble away without fear. If I put my arm in the tank, the emporer will grunt at it and try to fend me off.... the powder blue ducks for over, while the lipstick tang is quite interested..... I;m expecting him to start grazing any day soon. They really show little or no fear in general, and I think if I tried they would let me "stroke" them...... thoguh to be honest, I don;t feel inclined or see the point....... Even if I mess around with the rock work, they just go about their business around my arm..... as though I'm just another (non predatory) fish...... Its pretty cool when you think these are wild animals! __________________ Regards, Matt "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men." "Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit" - no man is at all times wise. "To a hammer, everything is a nail!" Current Tank Info: RSM 130

03/19/2008, 11:01 AM	#12
Bmgrocks Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,006	I worked with a Dogface puffer, that would look forward to being petted, he would spit water out the tank, to get your attention, pull up to the side of the tank and let you rub him. It all starts with hand feeding, where fish associate you with food, and don't consider you a threat. Do any of you think that certain fish have a level of intelligence??? (it seems the larger fish are more prone to being interacted with?)

03/19/2008, 11:06 AM	#13
Jeffrey Porter Cradle Robber Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bermuda Posts: 356	yeah, it's me pettin him. my mom took the pics. she didn't think i could see her in there. __________________ "Ok, you're yummy either way, so it doesn't really matter." - Gawain1974 "Richard, would you be offended if I stuck my finger in your whip cream?" Aliie "Les can't remember crap" - crp "I can't be bothered with details... I'm just the concept advisor" - Barto Current Tank Info: 75 tanganyikan starting up

03/19/2008, 02:40 PM	#14
twon8 Formally registered membe Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: slightly sw of richmond, va Posts: 5,920	ive got a whiteface tang, naso, and a new guinea wrasse that let me pet them __________________ Anthony Richmond Reef Club "and as things fell apart, nobody paid much attention." Not building a wall but making a brick Current Tank Info: 300g DD display, 60g frag tank

03/19/2008, 06:36 PM	#15
brandon7491 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: tampa,fl Posts: 850	my blue ring octopus lets me touch him

03/19/2008, 07:25 PM	#16
snommisbor Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 276	My clown pair come up when I feed and eat out of my hand and my fire shrimp jumps on my finger and cleans it. __________________ This is where you are supposed to type something witty. Current Tank Info: IM10

03/19/2008, 07:51 PM	#17
DarthSimon King Lineatus has Risen! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NYC Metro Area Posts: 1,065	I had a Huma Huma Trigger that kinda let me pet him....

03/19/2008, 10:56 PM	#18
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	I have fish that bite me, does that count? My ocellaris female and both maroons bite mercilessly whenever I try to do any work inside the tank, and my Lamarck's angel took a bite out of me today at feeding time -- seems I wasn't dropping the food soon enough, so she stuck her head out of the water and bit my hand. It worked, I dropped the food, and now she's learned a lovely new behaviour She's nearing 5" and only getting bigger, so from now on I think I'll keep my fingers further from the surface! __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

03/20/2008, 06:00 AM	#19
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	Speaking of fish bites, ever been bitten by a Harlequin Tusk? I had one jump up out of its tank to nibble on my thumb above the water when I wasn't paying attention, OW! __________________ You lookin' at my wrasse? Current Tank Info: I find it odd that there are children starving in this country and yet we euthanize millions of stray dogs and cats every year and then incinerate the bodies. Not only that, but we make it illegal to butcher the meat. -MarkS

03/20/2008, 07:11 AM	#20
pancho Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Antonio,TX Posts: 279	My Exquisite Fairy Wrasse lets me pet him whenever I want.

03/20/2008, 08:50 AM	#21
Dante_JoseCuerv Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sugar Grove, IL Posts: 1,214	My clowns play a game of tag with my hands... but they kinda nip at my fingers to see if I have any food. If I don't then they kinda just leave me alone. That's about it though... my mandarin has occasionally chilled in my hand for a brief moment, but even that was just in search of food.

03/20/2008, 09:04 AM	#22
reefman13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: CT Posts: 4,323	My powder brown, and female clowns swim around my arm like crazy any time its in the tank, and they will swim into my hand. And when I go to do a re-aqua scape and pull my fish out of the tank, they have no problems with the net. __________________ Regards, Dave ______________________________________________________________________ "One day I will be back in this hobby..." spoken like a true High School student... Current Tank Info: None for now...for now...

03/20/2008, 09:34 AM	#23
ChemLife Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: London Posts: 18	I had a Six-lined Soapfish (Grammistes sexlineatus) many years ago that was tame enough to let me pet and hold it in the water. It has a velvety soft feel. It allowed anyone to pet and touch it - many people thought it had a preference for the attention of females! It never released any toxins during all this attention, so it must have been enjoying it. ChemLife

03/20/2008, 10:42 AM	#24
GBE378 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Melbourne, florida Posts: 107	The moment my hand goes into my tank my green chromis are all over it. They rub against my hand and bite me if i dont give them attention.

03/20/2008, 12:42 PM	#25
Amoore311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ulster County, NY Posts: 2,521	The only fish I ever owned that liked to interact with me was a Fresh Water Oscar. He'd swim around my arm and rub up against it when I was cleaning his tank.